crane

1 of 2

noun

1
: any of a family (Gruidae of the order Gruiformes) of tall wading birds superficially resembling the herons but structurally more nearly related to the rails
2
: any of several herons
3
: an often horizontal projection swinging about a vertical axis: such as
a
: a machine for raising, shifting, and lowering heavy weights by means of a projecting swinging arm or with the hoisting apparatus supported on an overhead track
b
: an iron arm in a fireplace for supporting kettles
c
: a boom for holding a motion-picture or television camera

Illustration of crane

Illustration of crane
  • crane 1

crane

2 of 2

verb

craned; craning

transitive verb

1
: to raise or lift by or as if by a crane
2
: to stretch toward an object of attention
craning her neck to get a better view

intransitive verb

1
: to stretch one's neck toward an object of attention
I craned out of the window of my compartmentWebb Waldron
2

Example Sentences

Verb We craned our necks toward the stage. craned her head to see the roof
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But where there’s a will, there’s a way—and, apparently, a crane available to do the job. Justin Ray, Robb Report, 10 May 2023 Later on, capsules came equipped with a flotation collar; this helped to prevent their sinking while waiting for a crane to hoist the craft and crew aboard. Marisa Sloan, Discover Magazine, 5 May 2023 As a crane raised the cross off the ground, a sort of graffiti could be seen. Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, 21 Apr. 2023 Photograph: Reefy In Rotterdam, the Reefy team partnered with a local contractor that used a crane barge to lower each block into the water. WIRED, 28 Mar. 2023 The sand dunes are smack in the middle of the Central Flyway Migration Corridor; look out for cranes at the Nebraska Nature & Visitor Center just off Highway 2 in Wood River. Sarah Rose, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2023 One of Mizushima’s events is her 1000 Origami Cranes for Wellness workshops, where participants fold 1,000 origami cranes for mental wellness. Phi Do, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2023 Traffic was backed up most of the day Monday in West Dallas as dozens of police and fire personnel responded to a call at a construction site about a man atop a crane, blocking off nearby streets. Dallas News, 13 Feb. 2023 It has not yet been retrieved, the officials said, but that will likely be done with a crane or a winch from a vessel. Luis Martinez, ABC News, 10 Feb. 2023
Verb
Not only was the fit a tight squeeze, but employees needed to crane their necks to view their laptop screens on the cart. Steve Shaheen, Forbes, 5 May 2023 The pop star, who was dressed in a lovely lavender skirt suit and dramatic hat, was filmed craning her neck to find her seat ahead of the crowning, inadvertently creating a reaction meme. Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 May 2023 The design of the house is forward thinking but conscious of its agricultural roots: A modern, low-slung structure was built with firesafe materials like steel but is set within a grove of centuries-old olive trees (many of which were craned in from another town). Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 23 Mar. 2023 Teenagers camped out cross legged on the floor, heads craned over their smartphones. Caitlin Raux Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Mar. 2023 There is a great deal of neck craning to take it all in. Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2023 Irving craned his neck and saw white smoke pouring from a small window near the structure’s roof. USA Today, 10 Apr. 2023 The actor craned his body out of the large vehicle to check on his nephew, without setting the parking brake, and with a missed step fell under the tracks of the moving vehicle. Elise Brisco, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2023 The 58-year-old biotechnology executive will be out somewhere in Austin — at the bank or the grocery store or the coffee shop — and catch a stranger craning his or her neck to take in all 6-foot-10 of him. Jeff Mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, 6 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cran, from Old English; akin to Old High German krano crane, Greek geranos, Latin grus

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1570, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crane was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near crane

Cite this Entry

“Crane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crane. Accessed 30 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

crane

1 of 2 noun
1
: any of a family of tall wading birds related to the rails
2
: any of several herons
3
a
: a machine with a swinging arm for lifting and carrying heavy weights
b
: a mechanical arm that swings freely from a center and is used to support or carry a weight

crane

2 of 2 verb
craned; craning
1
: to raise or lift by or as if by a crane
2
: to stretch out one's neck to see better

Biographical Definition

Crane 1 of 3

biographical name (1)

(Harold) Hart 1899–1932 American poet

Crane

2 of 3

biographical name (2)

Stephen 1871–1900 American writer

Crane

3 of 3

biographical name (3)

Walter 1845–1915 English artist

More from Merriam-Webster on crane

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